Yeah were are at the point where the cult has so much control, that they can say whatever they want and completely pave over every option. Contradiction? Not really. Infighting? Nah, theres always someone on my side. Regrets? None. If they cover every option, they can never be wrong.

We have hit the “pick and chose your own adventure” of identity politics, where you cant argue anymore, because they stand for… everything and nothing all at once.

Let your imagination run wild.

“Life without parole” vs “the death penalty” hold a different connotation for the average person.

Its about perception. Not logic.

The death penalty had never really made sense for 80 years. Basically ever since we eliminated firing squads or the guillotine. Ever since we said, “guilty, kill em now, move on”

But we hold execution in a much higher regard. The death penalty is certain. Life in prison… well thats ambiguous. We are still fighting a culture war on the death penalty for literal decades now, despite the fact that it makes absolutely zero difference to anyone not directly involved in the crime.

The actual, logical, real world difference is minimal. But if you want to send a message. Well then, the perception is magnificent.

Sentenced to death has meaning. Until you drag it out so long everyone forgets.

No. They want to take away a martyr.

How long is the average stay on death row?

And how long is the memory of the average american voter?

You and me will have moved on to the next battle and ten other battles by the time they shoot him. Collective memory will have other priorities and we will forget.

Thats the trick. The appeals process alone takes so long that you will either be completely lost by that point, or your disinterest shouting support for fifteen other vigilantes, that it wont matter.

If they convict, hes fucked. Hes not a martyr. Hes a statistic. And thats how they convince the next one not to do it. You are not joan of ark. History will treat you not as a savior, but as a wildcard random… So why bother? A healthcare ceo is not franz ferdinand.

We arent there yet…

Yeah my internet history alone would eliminate me from that running.

The winners are “pre selected”. Thats how his bullshit workaround works. Its been admitted. But for the uninformed, it sounds like a lottery.

It isnt.

even if a communist or anarchist or whatever tried to play the game and if it were a true lottery, you would be committing a far worse disservice by keeping quiet at this point.

Stay quiet and maybe get a million. Its the democrat way if you look at our current dem politicians… do you really want to be like them right now?

Ill be honest, thats a victory in itself. Creating a crack isnt a loss. Its progress. As small as it may be. A damn doesnt fail because of a meteor hitting it. Its a crack here, a fracture there. It adds up.

The resiliency of that mentality isnt impenetrable.

There is a part of the constitution that prohibits someone that has completed 2 terms as president from being vp afterwards.

I understand what you are saying. But i believe that it is not really representative of what is happening or needs to happen to the usa as a whole.

Brownback just wasnt strong enough of a virus to build immunity to this sickness.

He may have been an slight inoculation for some people, but the immune system as a whole went on and then forgot about the weak virus.

what is happening now is a bigger bug. Lets just hope the fever doesnt kill us.

Yeah i think we will soon be far along enough that my personal feelings about this, in comparison to a random unpopular kansas govenor, are irrelevant and not a fair comparison. Its hardly a fair comparison right now.

I had to look up brownback tbh.

The “sam brownback concept” isnt a thing. But there are real examples of the yoyo slinging back hard enough to hit someone in the face and make them reconsider letting out the string again.

Im worried that at this point, for all the destruction and permanent damage hes done, that we may just need him to stick around and break more things.

If he kicks off tomorrow, we could have this happen again. It all gets washed under the rug and hes replaced with more subtle powers. It only took 4 years for the majority of the usa to forget the first round of damage he caused, after all.

But then again, if he lasts too long, we risk never recovering.

There is a sick, nihilistic balance to all this now imo. I want a guarantee that we dont slip down this road again. And unfortunately more pain may be the only way to guarantee it for the next few generations.

I feel dirty even saying it. But in my gut, i believe it.

Marching it the streets.

Mass protests.

Malicious compliance.

Organized disruptions of everyday life.

Sabotage.

All that first.

Guns are for when they refuse those.

You are a literal years ahead of the curve when it comes to lasting change. Be a martyr if you want. I dont care. But if we didnt follow behind luigi, we arent there yet. So shoot someone and get gunned down. Be my guest. You first.

Have you even done the bare minimum of protest before advocating for fucking violence? Are you lazy or just an armchair antagonizer?

Damn.

I agree on principal. And i agree with you 100% on your sentiment. In fact i got downvoted and fought pretty hard on lemmy to try and hold judgement on the people affected. (And by pretty hard i mean i said something that people slightly objected to. I did nothing really)

I also have, through local interactions, found that the particular community involved are in complete willful ignorance about this subject.

They dont care.

Seminole isnt far away from me. Local buisinesses here where i am are directly connected. They were traveling there literally this weekend. Ive interacted with the community involved and they say it is a no issue or fake news. Its all coolaid all the way through.

They dont care. Its gods will.

My standards on judgement still hold, but in my experience the evidence at this point is not anything that exonerates any of them in the slightest…

Its all cult mentality. But this time it isnt rfk and trump. Its just hardcore religion and blinders.

Run government like a buisiness they said.

Lets fire everyone in accounts receivable they say.

I know what direction this “business” is going…

Fucking morons.

Canada and mexico will absolutely crater first if pushed. Canada can maybe afford it short term and make trump blink first. They have a better position. Sheinbaum, for all the credit ill give her for not being a complete stooge like a good portion of the world expected, is in a much tighter predicament. I want her to go toe to toe. She has showed she isnt a puppet. But i dont think she can afford to hold out as long as necessary. Politically or economically.

Surely short term stock acquisitions are not really what is happening right now, right?

This (relatively) small fry market manipulation is 100% elons M.O. it’s how hes done business when not fleecing the fed for cash. Its why he was forced to buy twitter for fucks sake. but they arent really taking the short term discount acquisitions over the long term, are they?

If they are… Its… just so stupid. If it is something else, let me know.

“Tin soldiers and nixons comming…”

I dont see any more straw man arguments in my arguement than you have in yours.

When there is evidence for why the kid wasnt vaccinated, i will amend my public opinion. Until the reporters or an agency can say definately that the kid died because the family was antivax, i will withold my judgement. Until then, they are a sad statistic in an embarrasing resurgence of a shitty disease.

Odds are very good that you’re right, and im appalled that this is happening. but im not condemning them until i have actual evidence. And there is nothing wrong with withholding that judgement. And that is my point.

Inference in this case is only reinforcing your preconceptions and bias. There is no hard evidence in this article.

Wait. Hold up… i get what you are saying.

We dont like “the others” They are “the enemy” “They arent like us.” "They should burn for their beliefs and what they do to the rest of us. " “They hurt our communities.” “They sicken our people.”

Your inference is reductive and crass. It is the excuse of homophobes and racists and facists across the god damn world.

But you didnt realize that at all, did you?

You are so caught up in being right and villifying a community with no actual evidence, that you forgot that there are sick and dying children.

Infer my ass. Where is your empathy?

It doesnt.

It also doesnt say that the kid was the child of anti vax minnonites. It doesnt say that they were poor, or the closest hospital was 45 miles away and they had no car. It doesnt say they were a recent immigrant. That seams like easy ammunition for the right. Would be an easy way to demonize people if it were.

It doesnt say any of that.

It could have been. But you dont know. And neither do i.

See how that works?

I thought making blanket judgements about entire communities or groups of people is something we were supposed to think a little harder about.

And saying they deserve it is also something we are supposed to avoid.

Maybe by imposing my moral standard on others im not making the best argument, but i feel obligated to point it out.